Last Updated on October 4, 2026 by Maurya
The Cheltenham Festival 2027 will bring four days of elite jump racing back to Prestbury Park from Tuesday 16 March to Friday 19 March 2027. Featuring 28 races, including the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, Ryanair Chase and the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup, it is once again set to be the defining meeting of the National Hunt season.
The Jockey Club has confirmed that Cheltenham 2027 will begin with Champion Day on Tuesday 16 March and conclude with Gold Cup Day on Friday 19 March. Gates are currently scheduled to open at 10:30am, with the first race at 1:20pm and the final race at 5:20pm on each day, although race times can still change.
For racing fans and bettors, attention will increasingly turn towards the leading contenders as the 2026/27 jumps season develops. Defending champions such as Gaelic Warrior, Lossiemouth and Il Etait Temps already have strong claims, while emerging novices and improving chasers could reshape the markets considerably before March.
When Is Cheltenham Festival 2027?
The confirmed Cheltenham Festival 2027 dates are:
Tuesday 16 March 2027 – Champion Day
Wednesday 17 March 2027 – Ladies Day
Thursday 18 March 2027 – St Patrick’s Thursday
Friday 19 March 2027 – Gold Cup Day
The Festival consists of seven races on each day, producing 28 races across the four-day meeting. The Jockey Club describes Cheltenham as the pinnacle of the jump-racing calendar, with the meeting bringing together leading horses from Britain, Ireland and elsewhere.
The headline championship race is scheduled for 4:00pm on each day.
| Day | Date | Main Race |
| Champion Day | Tuesday 16 March | Champion Hurdle |
| Ladies Day | Wednesday 17 March | Queen Mother Champion Chase |
| St Patrick’s Thursday | Thursday 18 March | Stayers’ Hurdle & Ryanair Chase |
| Gold Cup Day | Friday 19 March | Cheltenham Gold Cup |
Race times and sponsorship titles remain subject to alteration before the Festival.
Cheltenham Festival 2027 Race Schedule
Day 1 – Champion Day: Tuesday 16 March 2027
The famous Cheltenham roar will signal the beginning of the Festival when the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle gets underway.
The current official programme is:
1:20pm – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
A major early test for the best young hurdlers and traditionally one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the week.
2:00pm – Arkle Challenge Trophy (Grade 1)
A high-speed novice chase over approximately two miles.
2:40pm – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
3:20pm – Ultima Handicap Chase
4:00pm – Champion Hurdle (Grade 1)
The centrepiece of opening day and one of the most prestigious two-mile hurdle races in the sport.
4:40pm – Festival Plate Handicap Chase
5:20pm – National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase
The 2027 Champion Hurdle will inevitably attract significant attention because reigning champion Lossiemouth could attempt to defend her crown.
Lossiemouth produced an emphatic performance in the 2026 Champion Hurdle, winning by six and a half lengths as the 7/5 favourite. That victory was also her fourth successive Cheltenham Festival success following the 2023 Triumph Hurdle and victories in the Mares’ Hurdle in 2024 and 2025.
Day 2 – Ladies Day: Wednesday 17 March 2027
Speed over fences becomes the main focus on Wednesday, with the Queen Mother Champion Chase the headline event.
The scheduled races are:
1:20pm – Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
2:00pm – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
2:40pm – BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle
3:20pm – Cross Country Handicap Chase
4:00pm – Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1)
4:40pm – Grand Annual Handicap Chase
5:20pm – Champion Bumper (Grade 1)
The Champion Chase traditionally demands an unusual combination of raw speed, accurate jumping and the ability to handle Cheltenham’s undulations.
That description suited Il Etait Temps perfectly in 2026. Willie Mullins’ chaser won the Queen Mother Champion Chase by ten lengths under Paul Townend, finishing well clear despite a dramatic jump at the final fence.
His potential return makes the 2027 edition one of the most interesting early championship markets.
Day 3 – St Patrick’s Thursday: Thursday 18 March 2027
Thursday features two championship races rather than one, with both the Stayers’ Hurdle and Ryanair Chase on the programme.
The current schedule is:
1:20pm – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2)
2:00pm – Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2)
2:40pm – Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
3:20pm – Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
4:00pm – Ryanair Chase (Grade 1)
4:40pm – Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle
5:20pm – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
The Stayers’ Hurdle is run over approximately three miles and places considerably greater emphasis on stamina than Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle.
The 2026 race provided an excellent reminder of why Festival betting should never revolve entirely around favourites. Home By The Lee won at 33/1, becoming the joint-oldest horse to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at the age of 11.
The Ryanair Chase went to Heart Wood at 9/2, who defeated Jonbon by ten lengths after 2025 champion Fact To File was withdrawn.
Those results underline one important point for Cheltenham 2027: prices months before the Festival do not determine what will happen in March.
Day 4 – Gold Cup Day: Friday 19 March 2027
Friday is built around the biggest prize of the meeting—the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The official Gold Cup Day schedule currently reads:
1:20pm – Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
2:00pm – County Handicap Hurdle
2:40pm – Mares’ Chase (Grade 2)
3:20pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
4:00pm – Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1)
4:40pm – Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase
5:20pm – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle
The Gold Cup is scheduled over approximately three miles and two and a half furlongs and represents the ultimate combination of jumping, stamina, speed and tactical positioning.
The race has produced champions including Best Mate, Kauto Star, Denman, Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027: Leading Contenders and Early Odds
The biggest early talking point is Gaelic Warrior.
Willie Mullins’ gelding won the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup by eight lengths, defeating Jango Baie with 2025 winner Inothewayurthinkin third. Gaelic Warrior started as the 11/4 joint favourite. The success gave both Mullins and jockey Paul Townend their fifth Gold Cup victories.
Unsurprisingly, bookmakers immediately installed him near the top of the 2027 market.
A recent Betfair ante-post market snapshot showed approximately:
- Gaelic Warrior – 2/1
- Jango Baie – 7/1
- Final Demand – 12/1
- Kitzbuhel – 16/1
- Fact To File – 20/1
- Inothewayurthinkin – 20/1
- Kaid D’Authie – 25/1
- Lulamba – 25/1
These are indicative ante-post prices rather than guaranteed current odds. Horse-racing markets can change immediately following a race, injury update, trainer announcement or change of target.
Gaelic Warrior – The Horse to Beat?
On demonstrated form, Gaelic Warrior deserves his position near the head of the Gold Cup market.
He is already a Festival champion, proved himself over the Gold Cup distance in 2026 and is trained by a stable with an exceptional modern record in the race.
There is, however, an important difference between identifying the horse most likely to win and finding a worthwhile bet.
At around 2/1 several months before the race, bettors are being asked to accept all of the uncertainty between autumn and March: fitness, ground, prep races and the possibility that another top-class staying chaser emerges.
For that reason, Gaelic Warrior may be the logical benchmark without necessarily being an attractive early ante-post price.
Jango Baie is another obvious name to monitor after finishing second in 2026, while Final Demand and several younger staying chasers have time to improve significantly before March.
Champion Hurdle 2027 Odds and Contenders
Lossiemouth’s commanding 2026 victory has made her the obvious starting point for the Champion Hurdle market.
A recent Betfair market had the leading contenders at approximately:
- Lossiemouth – 9/4
- Mydaddypaddy – 8/1
- King Rasko Grey – 12/1
- Old Park Star – 16/1
- Kopek Des Bordes – 20/1
- Narciso Has – 20/1
- Kabral Du Mathan – 20/1
- Alexei – 20/1
Lossiemouth has something that cannot be manufactured in an ante-post market: repeated evidence that she performs exceptionally well at Cheltenham.
Four consecutive Festival victories through 2026 give her a particularly strong course profile.
Nevertheless, Champion Hurdle markets can change significantly once the major autumn and Christmas hurdle races have been completed. Potential novice graduates also make early betting particularly difficult.
Queen Mother Champion Chase 2027 Odds
Defending champion Il Etait Temps heads another fascinating market.
Recent indicative Betfair prices included:
- Il Etait Temps – 5/2
- Kopek Des Bordes – 4/1
- Kargese – 8/1
- Marine Nationale – 14/1
- Majborough – 16/1
- Salvator Mundi – 25/1
- Only By Night – 25/1
Il Etait Temps’ ten-length 2026 victory gives him the strongest direct Festival evidence of the early market leaders.
The complication is the presence of younger horses whose ceiling may not yet be known. Two-mile novice chasers can progress rapidly between seasons, which is one reason blindly backing a defending champion at a short ante-post price carries risk.
Ryanair Chase 2027 Odds
The Ryanair sits between the specialist two-mile Champion Chase and the stamina-heavy Gold Cup, making target selection especially important.
An early market showed:
- Fact To File – 6/1
- Lulamba – 8/1
- The Jukebox Man – 8/1
- Grey Dawning – 10/1
- Il Etait Temps – 12/1
- Romeo Coolio – 12/1
- Heart Wood – 14/1
- Jango Baie – 14/1
This is arguably one of the hardest Cheltenham races to approach several months in advance because many leading horses could instead run in either the Champion Chase or Gold Cup.
Fact To File is particularly interesting historically. He won the Ryanair decisively in 2025, although he was withdrawn shortly before the 2026 edition, which was subsequently won by Heart Wood.
Target certainty should therefore be treated as almost as important as form when considering this market.
Stayers’ Hurdle 2027 Odds
The early Stayers’ Hurdle market is comparatively open.
Recent indicative prices included:
- The New Lion – 7/1
- Zeus Power – 10/1
- Jasmin De Vaux – 12/1
- Jimmy Du Seuil – 14/1
- Teahupoo – 16/1
- Slade Steel – 20/1
- Home By The Lee – 25/1
The key question with several potential contenders is whether they genuinely possess Grade 1 ability over three miles.
The New Lion may have obvious class, for example, but stamina and target confirmation are important pieces of the puzzle. Home By The Lee, meanwhile, demonstrated in 2026 that proven staying ability should never be underestimated even when the market prefers younger rivals.
Cheltenham Festival 2027 Betting Tips: What to Look for Before March
Successful Festival analysis is about much more than following the shortest-priced horses.
- Don’t Ignore Target Uncertainty
This is arguably the biggest ante-post trap.
A horse quoted for the Champion Hurdle could eventually go chasing. A Gold Cup prospect might be redirected towards the Ryanair. A novice can have several realistic Festival targets.
Traditional ante-post bets normally lose if the selected horse does not run, although individual bookmaker rules and promotional non-runner-no-bet offers vary.
Always confirm the applicable terms before betting.
- Pay Attention to Cheltenham Form
Cheltenham is not a neutral test.
The undulating track, famous uphill finish, Festival pace and pressure of championship races mean previous strong performances at the course can be meaningful.
Lossiemouth’s four successive Festival victories through 2026 are an obvious example. Gaelic Warrior’s Gold Cup victory supplies similarly valuable evidence over the most demanding championship trip.
Course form should not be used blindly, but proven ability to travel and jump efficiently around Cheltenham is a genuine positive.
- Wait for the Major Winter Trials
There is a huge amount of important racing between October and March.
The Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase, Savills Chase, Christmas Hurdle, Irish Champion Hurdle and major meetings at Leopardstown, Kempton, Ascot, Newbury and Cheltenham itself can completely reshape the Festival markets.
A horse available at 12/1 in October may shorten dramatically after winning a Grade 1—or disappear from the market following a setback.
Ante-post betting is ultimately a trade-off between getting a bigger price and accepting more uncertainty.
- Treat the Going as a Major Variable
Cheltenham in March can produce everything from testing ground to relatively quick spring conditions.
Some horses need soft ground to maximise their stamina advantage; others are far more effective when conditions are quicker.
Look beyond finishing positions and examine the conditions under which a horse has produced its best performances.
- Study Jumping Under Pressure
Festival races are frequently run at a stronger pace than ordinary seasonal contests.
A chaser can look spectacular when controlling a small field but struggle when forced to jump at championship speed.
For the Gold Cup and Champion Chase in particular, jumping efficiently while under pressure is one of the strongest attributes a contender can possess.
- Compare Odds Rather Than Automatically Taking the Favourite
A favourite can be the most likely winner without representing the best value.
If your assessment gives a horse a 20% chance of winning, that translates to fair decimal odds of approximately 5.0, or 4/1 in fractional terms. Taking 2/1 would therefore provide little theoretical value under that assessment.
The objective should be to compare probability with price, not simply identify the horse with the strongest reputation.
Britain vs Ireland at Cheltenham
The competition between British and Irish trainers remains an important Festival storyline.
Ireland retained the Prestbury Cup in 2026, but the result was far closer than in some previous years: Irish-trained horses won 15 of the 28 races, compared with 13 for Britain.
Willie Mullins remains especially important in championship-race analysis. His 2026 Gold Cup victory with Gaelic Warrior took his total in the race to five, matching legendary trainer Tom Dreaper. Paul Townend simultaneously became the most successful Gold Cup jockey with five victories.
However, the narrow 15-13 Prestbury Cup score also demonstrates why assuming complete Irish dominance would be too simplistic heading into Cheltenham 2027.
Horses to Watch for Cheltenham 2027
At this early stage, five names deserve particular attention.
Gaelic Warrior is the obvious Gold Cup standard after his commanding 2026 victory.
Lossiemouth possesses exceptional Cheltenham credentials and begins the new season as the horse to beat in the Champion Hurdle division.
Il Etait Temps produced one of the strongest championship performances of the 2026 Festival when winning the Champion Chase by ten lengths.
Jango Baie deserves attention after finishing second to Gaelic Warrior in the Gold Cup and has the potential to develop further.
Fact To File remains extremely talented, but his eventual Festival target could determine whether he represents an attractive ante-post proposition.
The most important point is that this shortlist should evolve. The 2026/27 National Hunt season will reveal new contenders, expose weaknesses and clarify which horses are genuinely being trained with specific Festival races in mind.
FAQs
What are the dates for Cheltenham Festival 2027?
The Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday 16 March to Friday 19 March 2027.
How many races are at Cheltenham 2027?
There are 28 scheduled races, with seven races on each of the four days.
When is the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027?
The 2027 Cheltenham Gold Cup is scheduled for Friday 19 March at 4:00pm. Timings remain subject to change.
Who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2026?
Gaelic Warrior, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, won the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup by eight lengths.
Who is favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2027?
Gaelic Warrior has headed early ante-post betting. A recent Betfair market had him around 2/1, ahead of Jango Baie at approximately 7/1, although prices can change significantly before race day.
Who is favourite for the 2027 Champion Hurdle?
Reigning champion Lossiemouth has headed early betting at approximately 9/4 in a recent market snapshot.
What is the biggest race at Cheltenham?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the Festival’s flagship race and one of the most prestigious steeplechases in world racing. It is staged on the fourth and final day.
Final Cheltenham 2027 Prediction and Outlook
Cheltenham Festival 2027 already has the ingredients for an outstanding meeting.
Gaelic Warrior enters the season as the reigning Gold Cup champion. Lossiemouth could attempt to extend her extraordinary Festival record in the Champion Hurdle, while Il Etait Temps has the credentials to remain one of the leading two-mile chasers.
But October is far too early to treat any Cheltenham market as settled.
The horses providing the best betting opportunities in March may not yet be favourites. Some may not even have made their most important seasonal appearance.
The smartest approach is therefore to build a shortlist rather than chase every early price. Monitor race targets, fitness, ground preferences, jumping, Cheltenham form and major winter trials, then reassess as the Festival gets closer.
For the Gold Cup, Gaelic Warrior is currently the benchmark. For the Champion Hurdle, Lossiemouth’s outstanding Cheltenham record makes her the obvious horse to beat. And in races such as the Ryanair and Stayers’ Hurdle, greater uncertainty means the markets could change considerably during the winter.
What is already certain is the date.
From 16-19 March 2027, Prestbury Park will once again host four days and 28 races that help define the entire National Hunt season.
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